The Council is requested to:

(1)  continue to apply the Cumulative Impact Assessment Policy to the area of Birkenhead currently referenced in the Statement of Licensing Policy, and;

(2)  approve the Draft Statement of Licensing Policy (attached).

(Licensing Act 2003 Committee minute 11 attached).

The committee report and appendices 2 and 3 can be viewed on the Council website here.

The sixth matter requiring consideration was in relation to the Draft Statement of Licensing Policy as recommended by the Licensing Act 2003 Committee at its meeting on 13 November, 2019 (minute 11 refers).

In moving the motion, Councillor Andrew Hodson referred to a meeting he had arranged for January with the Licensing Panel, Council officers and Police officers to review the impact of the policy and the improvements which would hopefully have taken place over Christmas. All Members were welcome to attend the meeting. He also thanked all the licensing staff for all the work they had undertaken on this.

On a motion by Councillor Andrew Hodson, seconded by Councillor Pat Hackett, it was -

Resolved (58:0) (One abstention) - That the recommendation contained within minute 11 of the Licensing Act 2003 Committee be approved as follows:

(1)  that there should continue to be a Cumulative Impact Assessment applied to the area of Birkenhead currently referenced in the Statement of Licensing Policy; and

(2)  the Draft Statement of Licensing Policy be approved.

The Director of Governance and Assurance submitted a report requesting the Committee to consider whether there should continue to be a Cumulative Impact Assessment applied to the area of Birkenhead which was currently referenced in the Statement of Licensing Policy.

The report also sought the Committee’s approval of the Draft Statement of Licensing Policy set out within Appendix 1 to the report in order that it may be presented to Council for approval on 9 December 2019.

The Licensing Manager informed Members that there was a statutory requirement under Section 5 of the Licensing Act 2003 for the Licensing Authority to prepare and publish a statement of Licensing Policy at least every five years and that since the first publication of the Policy in January 2005 it had been subject to three reviews, the last one being in December 2014.

Members were advised that on 5 January 2017 Merseyside Police had requested that the Licensing Authority consider adopting a Special Cumulative Impact Policy (SCIP), for an area within Birkenhead. The request had been made due to the level of crime and disorder, public nuisance, littering, street drinking, under-age drinking and anti-social behaviour believed to be resulting in part from the number of off-licence premises located in the area and this had been supported by Ward Councillors.  Further to a comprehensive consultation the Licensing Authority had been satisfied that there was evidence that the number of premises in Charing Cross, Grange Road West, Grange Mount, Oxton Road and the boundary of the Town Centre licensed under the Licensing Act 2003 for the sale by retail of alcohol for consumption off the premises were cumulatively giving rise to significant problems of public nuisance and crime and disorder.

The Licensing Authority therefore resolved to introduce a Special Cumulative Impact Policy limited to Charing Cross, Grange Road West, Grange Mount, Oxton Road and the boundary of the Town Centre with effect from 10 July 2017 to apply to Premises licensed for the sale by retail of alcohol for consumption off the premises only.

The Licensing Manager reported that it was a requirement of the Licensing Act 2003 that the Licensing Policy be reviewed at least every five years and that any Cumulative Impact Assessment included within the Policy be reviewed every three years.  Further to consultation four responses had been received and the comments were included within the report.

A report had been submitted by Merseyside Police providing evidence to support the retention of the Special Cumulative Impact Policy contained within the current policy.  Inspector Minnery from Merseyside Police attended the meeting and addressed Members.  She advised that although the Cumulative Impact Assessment had had a positive effect, street drinking was still a significant problem in Birkenhead.

Members were informed that the cumulative impact of the number of premises selling alcohol for consumption off the premises in the SCIP area supported a high level of street drinking in the area and that street drinking continued to be a major policing issue within the SCIP  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11